Cruising w Friends Dinner Question

[lv2cruisgrl]

I need dinner ideas for a November cruise.  We booked Beyond in a Sky Suite so we have Luminae (which we love).  At the sametime friends booked a Aqua suite so they have Blu.  Today another set of friends booked a balcony.  We really don't want to eat in the regular dining room each night, neither of our friends want to pay for the restaurants (we booked Eden for 1 night for us).  I am afraid this is going to be awkward.  Am I over thinking this?  We have not talked to our friends that booked the balcony about this yet. Thoughts from the peanut gallery here are welcome.

Edited July 12, 2022 by lovrccl

[LGW59]

15 minutes ago, lovrccl said:

I need dinner ideas for a November cruise.  We booked Beyond in a Sky Suite so we have Luminae (which we love).  At the sametime friends booked a Aqua suite so they have Blu.  Today another set of friends booked a balcony.  We really don't want to eat in the regular dining room each night, neither of our friends want to pay for the restaurants (we booked Eden for 1 night for us).  I am afraid this is going to be awkward.  Am I over thinking this?  We have not talked to our friends that booked the balcony about this yet. Thoughts from the peanut gallery here are welcome.

You made a choice and they did as well.  If everyone wants to eat dinner together a few times during the cruise there will need to be comprises made, otherwise just stick your original plan then meet after.

[canderson]

Ouch.  Yes, you've got yourself a bit of an awkward situation.  It appears that you understand the options well enough, so it's going to be a matter of just deciding how you want to manage it.  Given the parameters you've set out, there's simply no easy solution, as I think you know.

 

You don't say how long the cruise will last (i.e., how many meals we're talking about), but depending upon how friendly these friends are, you might offer to split the $30 or whatever it is now per person in Luminae a couple of times out of OBC.  That would perhaps reduce the aversion to the upcharge for them, and get your friends a nice dinner or two with you.  If these reservations were made with the understanding that friends were 'traveling together', in all honestly, you share the responsibility for the conundrum, so perhaps sharing some of the expense would be fair as well?  Just thinking out loud here.  If the reservations were made entirely independently, then I wouldn't feel any obligation.

 

 

Edited July 12, 2022 by canderson

[jwlane]

22 minutes ago, lovrccl said:

eat in the regular dining room each night..... Am I over thinking this?  

Over thinking?  Yes.  Remember there are 4 "regular dining room[s]", and I doubt it would be an issue for you to occasionally join your friends from steerage.  Let it develop as it will.

[julia]

Yes to the overthinking. There will be plenty of "group time" throughout the day (like casual breakfasts, lunches, pool time, excursions, happy hours, etc).  Do not stress about dinners, as each couple will enjoy their own chosen dining times and venues.

[mchell810]

My two cents, assuming a 7 night cruise: 2 nights you all eat in a MDR, 2 nights in a specialty and 3 nights you all do your own thing.   Or, if your pals are willing to pay you have one or 2 nights in Luminae (and maybe you take the above suggestion to subsidize the cost).

 

If it's a 10 night cruise just add one to each category.

[cangelmd]

7 minutes ago, lovrccl said:

I need dinner ideas for a November cruise.  We booked Beyond in a Sky Suite so we have Luminae (which we love).  At the sametime friends booked a Aqua suite so they have Blu.  Today another set of friends booked a balcony.  We really don't want to eat in the regular dining room each night, neither of our friends want to pay for the restaurants (we booked Eden for 1 night for us).  I am afraid this is go be be awkward.  Am I over thinking this?  We have not talked to our friends that booked the balcony about this yet. Thoughts from the peanut gallery here are welcome.

Yeah, this could be real awkward.

Are your friends familiar with Celebrity? Did they book other categories for financial reasons, or because of availability or out of lack of knowledge? Do you feel any responsibility for organizing this, or did they just book after you talked about the trip? At the end of the day, you will have to have an honest discussion about not eating with them, and enjoying cocktails and music before or after.

[lv2cruisgrl]

It is a 7 night cruise.  I didn't organized it. We booked last year. Then friend #2 earlier this year asked if they could join us and they booked Aqua (didn't want to pay suite cost). We were thrilled as we really like cruising with them. We figured we would do a few nights in Blu with them if possible and Luminae with us. No issues, they are seasoned cruisers.  All was good until this week when friends #3 (who don’t even know our friends #2) asked what cruise we were on. They have only cruised twice.  Next thing I know they booked a cabin. Oh well.

Edited July 12, 2022 by lovrccl

[jelayne]

We have traveled with friends and either because of different cabin categories or because they eat early @ 6  and we prefer to eat about 8.  We agree on 1 night and we dine together either in a specialty or the MDR and we go at 7.

The other nights we meet for a drink around 7:30 ( pre dinner for us post dinner for them).  We generally are on tours together on port days and catch lunch together on sea days.  It has worked well we all have our own time alone and time together. 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

It sounds as if Friends #2 knew the deal.  Friends #3 should perhaps have asked a few questions before booking.  If they still have time to change their booking, you might advise them of the dinner situation.  Then they can change or not, but they will know what the deal is (just as Friends #2 did and chose not to book a suite).

 

Since you didn't organize this, I don't see that you have any responsibility.  You will have plenty of opportunities to be together.

 

This is why, when traveling with friends, I make sure we are all in the same cabin class.

Edited July 12, 2022 by Happy Cruiser 6143

[Arizona Wildcat]

31 minutes ago, lovrccl said:

It is a 7 night cruise.  I didn't organized it. We booked last year. Then friend #2 earlier this year asked if they could join us and they booked Aqua (didn't want to pay suite cost). We were thrilled as we really like cruising with them. We figured we would do a few nights in Blu with them if possible and Luminae with us. No issues, they are seasoned cruisers.  All was good until this week when friends #3 (who don’t even know our friends #2) asked what cruise we were on. They have only cruised twice.  Next thing I know they booked a cabin. Oh well.

If Aqua is sold out it is unlikely you can join them in Blu.  If Luminae will allow 4 guests they could eat there for less than a specialty restaurant and of course you can all eat in the MDR.  We usually find ourselves in the Oceanview at least once as well.  

Just see how it works out one you are on board.

As with the cruise when we cruised with multiple family, we ate dinner together and often only occasionally saw each other during the day.

[canderson]

34 minutes ago, lovrccl said:

It is a 7 night cruise.  I didn't organized it. We booked last year. Then friend #2 earlier this year asked if they could join us and they booked Aqua (didn't want to pay suite cost). We were thrilled as we really like cruising with them. We figured we would do a few nights in Blu with them if possible and Luminae with us. No issues, they are seasoned cruisers.  All was good until this week when friends #3 (who don’t even know our friends #2) asked what cruise we were on. They have only cruised twice.  Next thing I know they booked a cabin. Oh well.

Ah, you really did get caught in the middle on this one!  If #2 didn't know what they were getting into re cabin class, that's an oops, but if they did, all you can do is roll with it.  #3 seems to have walked in a bit blindly.  Surely not your problem to sort out.

 

Unlike some of the comments here, even when traveling with family, we don't all favor the same excursions, so dinner is actually one of our main times to get together and review the day, so it would be a bigger hit for us than it might be for you.

 

[canderson]

I should add that this is one of the reasons we booked a Sky Suite for our daughter/SIL for this next October.  While they'd have been happy as clams in a C1, we'll be in a RS, and anything less than a SS would have split us up significantly at one of our 'prime times' together.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

58 minutes ago, lovrccl said:

It is a 7 night cruise.  I didn't organized it. We booked last year. Then friend #2 earlier this year asked if they could join us and they booked Aqua (didn't want to pay suite cost). We were thrilled as we really like cruising with them. We figured we would do a few nights in Blu with them if possible and Luminae with us. No issues, they are seasoned cruisers.  All was good until this week when friends #3 (who don’t even know our friends #2) asked what cruise we were on. They have only cruised twice.  Next thing I know they booked a cabin. Oh well.

You did not organize the cruise. Everyone booked independently. Friend #2 is a seasoned cruiser so they should know the parameters of dining in Luminae vs Blu. From your post you did not encourage either friend # 2 or # 3 to book and neither asked your advice. If you want to splurge on a meal in Luminae for everyone, I'm sure they would like it but I would not feel obligated to do that, or to take responsibility for friends who booked without consulting you re the aspects of various cabins.

[baggal]

Couple #3 may or may not have expectations of having dinner with you every night.  I would speak to them ASAP about the logistics of the different cabin classes and their respective dining rooms.  Better to be honest and upfront now.  Explain that both you and couple #2 are having meals in different venues based on your cabin category.  I definitely would want to know in advance.

[lv2cruisgrl]

10 minutes ago, baggal said:

Couple #3 may or may not have expectations of having dinner with you every night.  I would speak to them ASAP about the logistics of the different cabin classes and their respective dining rooms.  Better to be honest and upfront now.  Explain that both you and couple #2 are having meals in different venues based on your cabin category.  I definitely would want to know in advance.

Yes we plan on doing that. 

[cangelmd]

4 hours ago, lovrccl said:

It is a 7 night cruise.  I didn't organized it. We booked last year. Then friend #2 earlier this year asked if they could join us and they booked Aqua (didn't want to pay suite cost). We were thrilled as we really like cruising with them. We figured we would do a few nights in Blu with them if possible and Luminae with us. No issues, they are seasoned cruisers.  All was good until this week when friends #3 (who don’t even know our friends #2) asked what cruise we were on. They have only cruised twice.  Next thing I know they booked a cabin. Oh well.

Definitely right plan as you said above, not really anything better to do. I’m sure you would have preferred to have ironed all this out ahead of time, but not to be. A straightforward conversation with couple #3 may clear everything up without awkwardness.

[markeb]

Awkward, but it happens. It would be also be awkward if you were on the same long haul flight and you turned left through the door and they went right...  (Been there.)

 

It's also possible couple #3 wasn't even thinking about dinner with everyone. You're saying it's only their third cruise. It may be simpler than you think, but an early conversation is probably in order. You can still have drinks, go to shows, etc. 

[chemmo]

4 hours ago, lovrccl said:

It is a 7 night cruise.  I didn't organized it. We booked last year. Then friend #2 earlier this year asked if they could join us and they booked Aqua (didn't want to pay suite cost). We were thrilled as we really like cruising with them. We figured we would do a few nights in Blu with them if possible and Luminae with us. No issues, they are seasoned cruisers.  All was good until this week when friends #3 (who don’t even know our friends #2) asked what cruise we were on. They have only cruised twice.  Next thing I know they booked a cabin. Oh well.

The fact friends 2 and 3 don’t know each other needs to be considered too…They may hit it off, they may not. Could you all meet up for drinks or a meal before the cruise to see how interactions go? If they don’t particularly hit it off you may decide (rather than planning meals for three couples) to plan to dine/meet up with each couple on separate occasions.
 

If you can’t introduce them beforehand why not all meet for drinks first night at an agreed time and go from there? As another poster said there is also the issue of dining time…You may find that friends 3 want to eat earlier or later than you and friends 2 and are happy with dining separately but may enjoy joining you for drinks before or after.

I would definitely have an honest chat with friends 3 and make sure they understand that you will not be with them all the time. If they have booked expecting to spend significant time with you then you need to be upfront about how much time you want to spend with them…They need to understand that you not only will not be dining with them every night you won’t necessarily be with them poolside every day either…Perhaps tactfully suggest a ‘drinks time’ every day/some days or a shared excursion or onboard activity but express the need not to commit to too many plans so they are free to ‘do their own thing’…

 

Bottom line, you booked a cruise for yourselves with the sweet suite benefits! You need to enjoy the perks of Luminae and to see meeting up with friends (together or separately) as welcome interactions but with a balance that doesn’t compromise your full cruise experience.

 

Totally sympathise with anxiety, I would feel exactly the same.

 

 

 

 

[lv2cruisgrl]

6 hours ago, chemmo said:

The fact friends 2 and 3 don’t know each other needs to be considered too…They may hit it off, they may not. Could you all meet up for drinks or a meal before the cruise to see how interactions go? If they don’t particularly hit it off you may decide (rather than planning meals for three couples) to plan to dine/meet up with each couple on separate occasions.
 

If you can’t introduce them beforehand why not all meet for drinks first night at an agreed time and go from there? As another poster said there is also the issue of dining time…You may find that friends 3 want to eat earlier or later than you and friends 2 and are happy with dining separately but may enjoy joining you for drinks before or after.

I would definitely have an honest chat with friends 3 and make sure they understand that you will not be with them all the time. If they have booked expecting to spend significant time with you then you need to be upfront about how much time you want to spend with them…They need to understand that you not only will not be dining with them every night you won’t necessarily be with them poolside every day either…Perhaps tactfully suggest a ‘drinks time’ every day/some days or a shared excursion or onboard activity but express the need not to commit to too many plans so they are free to ‘do their own thing’…

 

Bottom line, you booked a cruise for yourselves with the sweet suite benefits! You need to enjoy the perks of Luminae and to see meeting up with friends (together or separately) as welcome interactions but with a balance that doesn’t compromise your full cruise experience.

 

Totally sympathise with anxiety, I would feel exactly the same.

 

 

 

 

Exactly! I guess my fear is they (#3) doesn't realize the difference between suite life vs other rooms.  It will be a balancing act for sure!  

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, lovrccl said:

Exactly! I guess my fear is they (#3) doesn't realize the difference between suite life vs other rooms.  It will be a balancing act for sure!  

You seem quite logical and level headed, I’m sure you will work it out amicably for everyone.

[jagoffee]

2 hours ago, lovrccl said:

Exactly! I guess my fear is they (#3) doesn't realize the difference between suite life vs other rooms.  It will be a balancing act for sure!  

From my perspective that is really the only significant issue.  Obviously you want to have that discussion with your balcony friends ASAP, so they have an opportunity to cancel or change their booking.  
 

Picking a day with the best MDR menu, you may want to try it at least once.

 

I have had the situation twice when we were not all in the same dining category.  I just made it clear that we were in a suite and dining in Luminae.  They joined us on the cruise, but we did not dine together.  We have cocktails before dinner together and met up afterwords. (This was the S Class) it worked out well.  

 

In the second case, we told them the situation and they book a category to dine with us.  
 

it felt a little awkward, but it is now always a topic of advanced discussion when cruising with friends.  Sometimes we cruise in a regular cabin.  But generally we cruise alone.
 

 

 

[Bo1953]

Personally, I believe you are under thinking it!!!

 

You will want to meet up with everyone, once aboard and I will presume everyone knows where everyone else is bunking for the sailing... if not, then that is the time to explain the different categories of dining around X.

 

At the meeting you can point out the 'current' dining arrangements and on one (1) night invite your friends to dine with you in Luminae, of course you will be paying for them as expected, and then you can on any given other nights join in one of the other dining rooms to be convivial... and sharing.

 

In fact, have the discussion long before boarding!!! You can start the conversation by saying "It just dawned upon us, that you may not know that we are in a suite and have our own dining room BUT we are inviting you to dine with us on one evening and we will dine with you in one of the MDR's as well. So not to fear, we will be eating together...

 

bon appetit, good luck and bon voyage

[RichYak]

The fact that the 3 groups are in different dining rooms is a given and you should treat it that way. Perhaps a quick message is in order...

 

"Since we're all in different dining rooms, should we try to get together for dinner one night in a specialty? Or join group #3 in the MDR one night? What do you all think?"

[TeeRick]

2 hours ago, lovrccl said:

Exactly! I guess my fear is they (#3) doesn't realize the difference between suite life vs other rooms.  It will be a balancing act for sure!  

@lovrccl you have the option of separating for dinner with the one or two other couples as others have pointed out.  But here are a few choices all three couples (for dinner):

- All 3 couples dining together some nights in one of the MDR's, or in the buffet.

- All 3 couples dining together in a Specialty restaurant  (additional dining costs for all of you).

- All 3 couples dining in Luminae ( $30 pp for the non-suite couples, but much cheaper than Specialty dining, as good or better, you need to make arrangements in advance at Luminae.

- All 3 couples dining in the port together (for lunch or dinner if time permits).

 

-In addition, couples 1 & 2 can dine together in Blu (no added fees).  Just need to arrange in advance.